Judy

I need advice on this area of San Francisco. I have the option to rent a house in this area and would like to know if this is an easy area to get to and from (we will have a car rental) and how difficult would it be to find parking in the areas we want to visit (FW, Chinatown, etc.) Is this a nice area to walk around and visit shops, restaurants, etc.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!

xxx

My advice would be to stay away from Potrero Hill at all costs. It is not a very desirable neighborhood.

sharon

While Protrero Hill might be a very nice place to live (especially because it tends to be 10-20 degrees warmer than the rest of the city), it would be a tough spot to visit the city from. You will be separated from the key attractions by the warehouse district that lies between - so walking to the sites will require a long walk. Also, there is not much to visit in the district itself, so you will find yourself driving everywhere, which will get frustrating fast - parking at any of the areas you mentioned is expensive and not easy. Not to mention, navigating our hills and narrow streets is no picnic.

But, if it is the difference between being able to visit the city or not, I would do it. There is plenty of parking in the Protrero Hill neighborhood, so you can easily park your rental there. The people are very friendly and the days are very sunny. Enjoy!

lizbeth

Potrero Hill is an interesting, mixed-bag sort of S.F. neighborhood. It's like an island in that it's actually rather close to downtown but separated from it by part of the freeway and the aforementioned warehouse district. There are some beautiful old houses, good, non-touristy restaurants, bakeries, etc. It's also an "island" in that the summer fog usually doesn't affect Potrero Hill and although it can be windy, it is often sunnier. One caveat though - the surrounding areas are not as gentrified as the central Portrero Hill neighborhood. You don't want to be out on a long walk and have to come back in the dark through either the public-housing areas or the warehouse district. I think you should go for it - it'll definitely be a very different S.F. vacation.

juice

Isn't Potrero Hill the site of the public housing project where OJ Simpson grew up?

sharon

As I understand it he grew up in the projects in Bayview - Hunters Point. But I may be incorrect - I am not always up on my celebrities.

But, yes there is a housing project on Protrero Hill. There is one in almost every district of the city. San Francisco integrated its projects into the various residential districts throughout the city.

Faina

I don't know where OJ grew up, but his high school - Galileo - is on Van Ness at the bay, Francisco street. Could he be living THAT far away from the school? Or maybe his family moved later?

gail

I'd rather stay on Potrero Hill than out in the foggy Richmond. You'll have great views of SF and the bay and there are some good restaurants in the neighborhood. The shopping area is basically just a few blocks long. I would try to find out where the city owned parking lots are as they are usually cheaper if you want to drive to different parts of the city, though I would encourage public transportation. Several busses also go in this area so during the day this may be the way to go.

E-mail me if you need more info I've lived in the area for over 25 years and work just a few miles from Potrero Hill.